Ranma Rivals
by LovelyKouga
Summary: YAOI RyougaxRanma, lemon in later chapter - After ungloriously knocking out his foe Ranma, Ryouga travels far and wide in an attempt to find water to revive him. As he is about to discover, with rivalry comes respect, in many shapes and forms.


**Rivals - Chapter one**

_**Author's note:** I was quite suprised that upon browsing this site...I couldn't for the life of me find many decent fics with this pairing at all! :O So here it comes, it feels good to write a slash for an anime I like again. Please note this is just for fun and may not be up to the standard of my usual fics.  
**Pairing:** Ryouga x Ranma  
_

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Ranma grinned and folded his arms across his chest as he stared down at his rival, who lay flat on his back in the dirt.

"R-Ran…maaa!" Ryouga groaned, his whole body shaking as he attempted to get up.

"Face it, piggy boy, you'll never defeat me! Not at anything."

Ryouga clenched his fists at these words and sprang to his feet, growling at the obnoxious youth with rage.

"You'll pay for that! Today is the day I beat you!"

"Oh will I, now? Why don't ya come here and try!" Ranma said, raising his arms in front of him and bending his knees in a battle stance. He twitched two fingers, beckoning.

"Come and get it."

"Oh, I will!"

Ryouga roared as he rushed towards the pig-tailed boy with tremendous speed, throwing reckless, furious punches. Ranma ducked and dodged just as fast, grinning all the while. Oh, how he lived for this! Fighting was his life, and although Ryouga was still not as strong as he, he enjoyed fighting with him the most.

Ryouga launched himself forward just a bit too far, expecting his punch to connect. Ranma could not be matched for speed, and he leaned backwards as Ryouga fell forward, losing his balance as his punch found nothing but air. He seemed stunned, but quickly regained his composure and wrapped his leg around Ranma's, tripping him. Ranma yelled and grabbed the front of Ryouga's shirt, and as he fell back, his rival went down with him. Ryouga landed on top of Ranma, knocking the air out of both of them as their heads crashed together. Ranma saw stars as he felt a searing pain, and something warm trickled down the side of his face.

Ryouga grunted and raised himself up on his hands and knees, rubbing the front of his forehead. "Ahh…That hurt, you bastard!" He spat, sitting up. The seething boy felt something shift beneath him, and he immediately looked down. An unconscious Ranma was lying between his legs on his back, blood seeping from a gash on his head. He was still gripping Ryouga's shirt, his muscles tight in a death-grip. Ryouga hoped it wasn't rigor mortis.

"Ranma?" Ryouga inquired, quietly. Ranma responded with a groan and his head rolled to the side, out cold.

"Hey, stop playing dumb and get up." A hint of worry was noticeable in his voice, as he poked the side of the other boys face repeatedly. Ranma lay silent, now unresponsive.

"Ranma?" He asked again, gripping the other boy's hands, still clutching his shirt, as he leaned in close. He surveyed Ranma's face critically for a time before removing his own bandana and tying it around the other boy's head. Blood immediately seeped through, although Ryouga knew it would clot and stop bleeding soon. A fact he knew from tending to his own various wounds he'd acquired over the years, alone and lost in the wilderness.

"Ranmaaaa!"

Ryouga jumped at the familiar voice and abruptly stood, forgetting the boy still attached to his front. Ranma's dead weight swung forward and thumped against his chest, and Ryouga made a small sound of surprise as they toppled over yet again. Ryouga panted with the effort of hoisting his rival off of himself, not wanting to be seen in such a compromising position. His cheeks grew red at the thought.

"Ranma, where are you? Dinner is ready, ya bird-brain."

Ryouga started panicking, and he frantically tore Ranma, along with his shirt, off of himself and stuffed them in a nearby trashcan. Just in time, too, as Akane heard the noise and rounded the corner, bumping into Ryouga.

He caught her arms and steadied her before she could fall, and she smiled brightly, apologising.

"Ryouga! Oh I'm so sorry, I didn't see you there."

Ryouga shook his head and the corner of his mouth jerked up in an awkward smile, too. "N-not at all!" He said, his voice racked with nerves.

Akane tilted her head on the side, giggling cutely. The boy's heart melted at the sight and sound, and he said nothing as he stared at the woman he had loved since the day they had met. Akane began to feel uncomfortable under his gaze and tried to step back, just as Ryouga realised he was still holding onto her arms. He quickly let go, waving his arms about and stammering numerous apologies as she laughed again.

"Haha! What are you doing here anyway, Ryouga? I thought you were training with…Eh?" She stopped mid-sentence, staring.

The boy raised an eyebrow questionably, and then slowly followed her line of sight down to his bare torso.

He gasped and made to cover himself with the lid of the trashcan, as Akane flushed and covered her eyes.

"A-Akane! I-I'm so sorry!" He stuttered, his whole face turning a magnificent shade of red. "My shirt was-"

"It's alright!" She interrupted, beginning to walk away to grant him some humility. "If you see Ranma, please tell him to get his butt back home."

She promptly rounded the corner again and Ryouga was left standing there, shirtless, blushing and alone.

Well, not alone if you counted the unconscious brat in the can.

"It's always like this!" He wailed, dramatically falling to his knees in defeat. "I get humiliated in front of Akame, while Ranma…" he violently punched the trash can, "…gets off scot-free!"

Ranma grunted with discomfort, and Ryouga felt satisfied at least with that.

'I suppose I had better get him cleaned up somewhere, and wait for him to come to.' He thought, sighing. Akane would have a cow if she saw the condition her fiancé was in. And, as usual, it would be all his fault.  
Rising to his feet he grabbed the rim of the can, unceremoniously dragging it behind him as he roamed the street in search for a tap or pool.

***

Where he ended up, however, was a place completely different. Ryouga had walked for two hours dragging Ranma behind him in the can, and for three hours carrying him on his back. By now he was completely and hopelessly lost, although it didn't bother him too much as he was used to it.

The lost boy's legs shook with fatigue, but he willed himself to soldier on. If Ranma were to perish he would never forgive himself, and neither would his darling Akane. The sound of running water reached his ears, so he focused on putting one foot in front of the other, for he knew he was close. Ranma shifted atop his trusty steed and mumbled something incoherent, which made Ryouga smile through his pain. If he could just get him water, he knew he'd be all right.


End file.
